3 – Something
Chapter Three
Something
⠀
⠀
It was a feeling that Twilight never thought she could get used to, and one that she never wanted to get used to. Even dressed for the ride, the wind cut through Twilight’s clothes, causing a chill that Twilight barely felt over the rush of endorphins.
No, it wasn’t the wind that held Twilight’s attention. It was the speed. The way the world flew past them, becoming a blur in front of her eyes. It was the sound. The roar of the motorcycle engine that drowned out the rest of the traffic around them.
And, most of all, it was Sunset. It was the way that for at least a little while, Twilight got to hold onto her tightly. It was the way their bodies pressed together as they sped down the city streets.
It was such a wonderful feeling, and even though it scared Twilight, it was something she revelled. Time and time again, she would gladly accept Sunset’s offer to ride on the motorcycle. She leaned her head against Sunset’s back, wishing she could do it without the helmet on.
Since the need for safety was more important than the awkwardness of Twilight’s closeness, she didn’t worry too much about it. That was made easier by the fact that Sunset didn’t react in any way. Or at least, not in any way to discourage it. Twilight swore that the tighter she held, the faster Sunset drove. Or maybe it was just that the world around them slowed down when Twilight was with Sunset, allowing them to speed through it.
Of course, the problem with speeding through things was that they reached their destination before long. Sunset pulled into the dirt parking lot of the nature park and turned off the engine. Twilight dismounted first, though she lingered close to Sunset, wishing to prolong the closeness just a little bit longer.
But then Sunset pulled off her helmet, her hair cascading down around her shoulders, and she smiled at Twilight. “Alright, Sparky?”
As she pulled off her own helmet, Twilight smiled as well. The bike ride was wonderful, even if she found she preferred the view once it was over. “Yeah, just a little unsteady.”
Sunset smirked and locked the bike. “Still not used to it?”
“No, but it’s fun.”
“Never would’ve thought you’d be the adrenaline junkie.”
“I am not an adrenaline junkie!”
Sunset laughed. “Yeah yeah, if you say so.”
Twilight pushed against Sunset, as much for the excuse to touch her as it was in response to the teasing. “Oh whatever, you’re the one who owns a motorcycle.”
Sunset shrugged. “Yeah, well, I never said I’m not an adrenaline junkie.”
They both laughed as they walked through the gap in the small wooden fence, ignoring the sign that said the park was closed. It was the type of thing Twilight would never do, not normally. But there was something about Sunset, something that made Twilight more okay with taking risks and bending rules.
There were few lights in the park, since it wasn’t meant to be open during the night. Like the bike ride, it was more than a little scary, although Twilight was well aware there was nothing dangerous in the park. Still, she walked close to Sunset, which made her feel a little more brave.
Again, Sunset didn’t react to the closeness. Twilight briefly wondered if she was also afraid and looking for comfort, then decided that wasn’t likely. She couldn’t imagine Sunset being afraid; more likely, she just knew Twilight was, and she was okay with sticking close to her.
Not that it mattered, of course. Twilight just enjoyed being so close to Sunset. She glanced between them, noticing Sunset’s hand dangling limply at her side. Not for the first time, Twilight wondered what would happen if she took hold of it.
But of course, she didn’t. Instead, she just walked along with Sunset as they talked about how work had gone for her. It was a normal, innocuous conversation, nothing special. But while Twilight always enjoyed any conversation with Sunset, this one took a backseat in her mind.
It seemed that she didn’t hide it as well as she thought she did, as Sunset soon asked, “So what’s got you so distracted?”
Twilight blushed. “Is it that obvious?”
Sunset just shrugged. “Well, you asked to come out here, so you had something on your mind. I’ve been keeping my eye out for any signs of what it might be.”
That was just like Sunset. Whatever Twilight did, Sunset could see right through her. “There is… something…”
Sunset nodded. “Right. And you brought me out here, so it’s something you want to talk about.”
“I… I guess so…”
Sunset stopped in her tracks and put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. It wasn’t like it meant anything, just a friendly gesture. Still, with the thoughts that were going through Twilight’s mind, the touch made her blush.
Either Sunset didn’t notice, or she chose not to comment. “Come on, Sparky. It’s just us here, you can tell me.”
Telling Sunset was the hardest thing to do. And the use of that nickname, Sparky, didn’t make it any easier. Sunset was the only one who ever called Twilight that, and hearing it always caused her heart to beat just a little bit faster.
Still, she had to answer. She reached her hand up towards Sunset’s, then changed her mind at the last moment. Instead, she pulled her ponytail from behind her head and played with her hair. It wasn’t a normal habit of hers, but she’d lost her nerve to touch Sunset and had to do something with her hand.
“I… I talked to Fluttershy earlier.”
Sunset nodded. “Is this about the apartment?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, but it was while we were out. She, uhm, she said… Well, it sounds like she wouldn’t mind if I… if I, you know…”
Sunset waited a moment, then smirked. “Uh, no, I don’t know. What’d she say?”
Twilight forced herself to swallow, then glanced down at the ground as she talked. “Well, I think she’s okay if I, uhm, tried dating someone else.”
Sunset put her other hand on Twilight’s other shoulder. Although Twilight couldn’t see her face, she could hear the grin in her voice. “Twilight, that’s fantastic! So you can finally ask out Moon Dancer!”
“Y-yeah…” Twilight frowned. That was what she was supposed to be happy about. She was supposed to ask out Moon Dancer, which was, after all, what Fluttershy had suggested. And it was what Twilight wanted! Or at least, it was something she wanted.
It wasn’t the only thing, though. She took a deep breath. “But… I was thinking…”
Sunset chuckled, then let go of Twilight’s shoulders to instead put an arm around them, pulling Twilight in closer. “Come on, Sparky, getting cold feet?”
“No. Er, at least, I don’t think so. I haven’t, uhm, talked to Moon Dancer about that yet. And –”
“Yeah, I see what you wanted to talk to me for. Don’t worry, I’ll help you figure out just what to say.”
“No. Sunny, please.”
Sunset finally seemed to catch on that there was more to say. “Do you not want to anymore?”
“I do. Or, I think I do. But… I don’t know, things are so confusing, and… and there’s… someone else…”
“Oh.”
It was amazing. One word, two letters. Oh. Just oh. That’s all Sunset said, but it was all she had to say. Somehow, in that moment, Twilight knew Sunset understood immediately.
Neither of them said anything for a moment, then Sunset let go of Twilight and started walking. For once, Twilight couldn’t help but feel like Sunset wasn’t walking with her, she was walking away from her.
Still, Twilight followed. Not as closely as she wanted to. But she followed.
“So…” Sunset said after a minute or so of silence. “We’re talking about this then?”
“I…” Twilight was going to say she didn’t know what Sunset meant, but that was a lie. There was something between them, something unspoken. It was a mutual agreement that as long as they never talked about it, it was all okay. And now Twilight was breaking that agreement. “I guess we are.”
“Right. Well.” Sunset turned to look at Twilight. “I’m sorry. I… I think I’ve kind of given you the wrong idea.”
“Sunny?”
“I… Well, you know I like you, Twilight.” Twilight, not Sparky. “You’re one of my best friends. I mean, you kind of are my best friend. Don’t get me wrong, all our friends mean the world to me, but you know you’re special.”
Twilight nodded slowly.
“But… I mean, I’m just not looking for anything. I want to keep being your friend, but that’s all I’m really looking for.”
This time Twilight stopped walking. “You… you don’t…”
Sunset stopped in turn. “You know, I don’t mean anything by it. You’re amazing, Twi. And Fluttershy is so lucky to have you. Moon Dancer will be too. And… and I would be too, if I wanted that. I just…”
“Don’t,” Twilight finished.
“I’m sorry,” Sunset offered.
Twilight shook her head. She was so stupid. She really thought this thing went both ways? Sunset was just a friend, and Twilight was the only one who…
‘No.’ Twilight clenched her teeth. “You’re lying, Sunny.”
“I’m not –”
“Friends don’t act the way you do.” Twilight wasn’t sure where this was coming from. It wasn’t like her. But there was something about Sunset, something that made Twilight feel like she could fight.
Sunset took a deep breath. “I’m not lying.”
Twilight just glared at her.
Sunset held her gaze for a moment, then she fidgeted under the pressure. “But I’m not telling the whole truth. Fine. You got me. I like you, Twilight, a lot. As more than a friend. And if things were different… I would absolutely want to date you. So yeah, if that makes it better, then there. I feel the same way.”
Twilight took a step closer. “We can make something work now! Fluttershy, she’s finally coming around to me being with someone else! And she likes you, she’ll be okay with it!”
Sunset shook her head. “This isn’t about Fluttershy.”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “Then what? You want to be with me, and I… I want that too, Sunny… And now, we can.”
“It’s not that simple.” Sunset ran a hand through her hair. “Look… Twilight, I’m sorry. I really am. But there’s reasons why I can’t date you. Or anyone, not just you. You just… you don’t know what you’re signing up for.”
Twilight stepped closer, closing most of the distance between them. She ignored the way her breath caught in her chest as she forced the words out. “I’m signing up for you. I know you, Sunny…”
‘Just reach out for me. I’m right here, just put your arms around me and let me be yours…’
Instead, Sunset turned and walked away. Twilight deflated and felt the tears welling up, but she forced them down. Because it was all she could do, Twilight followed behind Sunset, keeping her distance.
“You know I’m not from this world,” Sunset said. It wasn’t a question, as it was something Twilight knew very well.
“I know. That doesn’t bother me.”
Sunset nodded. Twilight wished she could see her face. She desperately wanted to know what was on Sunset’s mind, but the back of her head was expressionless.
Her voice was just as flat as she spoke. “Equestria… I never appreciated it when I was there, you know? It took a long time, but… I miss it.”
“You… you want to go back?”
Did Sunset tense up at that question, or did Twilight imagine that? Either way, she didn’t answer directly. “I never thought I could go back. Never thought Celestia would let me. But then I met her with the other Twilight during that whole memory stone incident, and… and she wasn’t upset. She allowed me to go back, at least for a little while, and…”
If Sunset wasn’t going to do it, Twilight was. She ran ahead and looped her arm around Sunset’s. It was something she might do even if they hadn’t confessed their feelings, so she told herself that it was okay. Still, her heart raced as she did, and she blushed when Sunset turned to look at her.
Sunset’s face was unreadable, but she didn’t try to stop Twilight’s show of affection. She turned back to face forward. “You never know what you’ve got til it’s gone, Sparky.”
The return of the nickname emboldened Twilight. “So what about everything you’ll leave behind here? What about me? And all our friends? Are you ready to say goodbye to us?”
“No.” Sunset took a deep breath. “I never will be. But we’re graduating, and who knows what happens after that? Rarity’s looking into studying abroad, Rainbow’s got that sports scholarship upstate, Pinkie’s been talking about travelling for a year…”
“Fluttershy, Applejack, and I will be here,” Twilight reminded her. “I know there’s a lot of change, but –”
“You’re settling for a local college because of Fluttershy.” Sunset turned to face her. “And she’s not even going to college. You know you could get into school anywhere in the country – probably anywhere out of country too. Fluttershy could go with you.”
Twilight frowned at the sudden change of subject. “You sound like my parents. And what about Applejack? She can’t just take Sweet Apple Acres with her. And Fluttershy’s family is here, and so is mine. You’re not thinking this through either!”
Sunset just stared ahead.
“Do… do you want me gone that much?”
For a moment, Sunset remained silent. When she spoke, her words were slow and quiet. “If you’re gone, then this whole thing is so much easier…”
Twilight stopped in place, pulling on Sunset’s arm so she did the same. “Sunny…”
The look Sunset gave Twilight was one of tiredness. This decision had weighed on her, but she had finally made up her mind.
Twilight looked at the ground. “Okay. It’s okay, Sunny. You can go back to Equestria. We can still make it work, though. We have the journal, and the portal is right at CHS. Sure, it might be a little awkward to use it when we’ve graduated, but we’ll work things out.” She looked up and smiled. “We can still work things out, Sunny.”
“No, we can’t.” Sunset looked off to the side. When Twilight followed her gaze, she saw a bench on the side of the path. Sunset jerked her head towards it, so they walked over to it, arm in arm.
As the two of them sat down, Twilight kept hold of Sunset’s arm. She waited patiently for Sunset to speak.
“Have you ever thought about how perfectly the portal syncs up the two worlds?”
Twilight cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean?”
Sunset shook her head. “Right, you wouldn’t know. See, in Equestria, Celestia and Luna are immortal rulers of Equestria, and the other Twilight and all her friends – Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, and Rarity – they were chosen by the Elements of Harmony. And then in this world, almost everything syncs up perfectly with Equestria. What were the odds that Luna and Celestia would be in charge of the school at the exact time that the Elements of Harmony were all together?”
Twilight nodded. “They’re not immortal, so the timeline wouldn’t sync up between the worlds twenty years ago. There wouldn’t be a Celestia and Luna in charge to mirror Equestria’s.”
“Exactly. And… the portal wouldn’t have come here.” Sunset turned to face Twilight. “The portal doesn’t connect this world to Equestria. It connects Equestria to the closest parallel dimension.”
“And that was here, but now…”
“Now the Elements of Harmony are splitting up. Rarity, Rainbow, and Pinkie are all looking into out of town options. We’re all graduating, but Celestia and Luna are going to stay at CHS. I’ve talked to the other Twilight about this a lot, and we theorize that the mirror is going to pick a new parallel dimension.”
Twilight’s heart sunk. “So if you go to Equestria…”
“I’ll be gone for good.”
“And the journal?”
“Probably won’t work once the worlds are desynced.”
Neither of them said anything. Both girls just sat and stared out into the distance, which didn’t amount to much, since it was too dark to see ahead of them well.
A life without Sunset. That’s what Twilight was faced with. Not just a life where Sunset wouldn’t date her, Twilight could accept that. But a life where Sunset wasn’t there at all for her.
It was too much. Twilight threw her arms around Sunset, who put her own arms up in shock. “Then don’t go! Just stay with us, we… we all love you, Sunset, we don’t want you to disappear!”
Slowly, Sunset lowered her arms and put them around Twilight. “I know. Trust me, I know. And I don’t want to leave you girls behind either, but… If I don’t go, I lose this chance forever.”
“And if you go, you lose this chance forever.” Twilight gestured around her. “You lose all of this, all that we can give you.”
“I know. Believe me, I know. But… I don’t feel at home here, Sparky. I never did. I don’t know if I’ll be happy in Equestria, but I know I don’t belong here.”
Twilight righted herself so she could look at Sunset. There was something about the look in her eyes, something Twilight had never noticed before. There was a deep pain there, something she kept hidden from everyone.
And Twilight knew. She knew that nothing she could say would stop Sunset, and that furthermore, it was selfish of her to try. She leaned back on Sunset. Not holding her like she had been before, but just leaning against her with one arm around her shoulder. They were closer than she normally would with her friends. That felt right though, because she wasn’t convinced she and Sunset could ever be just friends again. She wasn’t sure what they were, but she was pretty sure they were something.
“Sunny?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t forget me.”
Sunset gave Twilight a squeeze. “Never. And you’ll remember me when I’m gone, right?”
“I’ll always remember you.”
Sunset gingerly bent down and kissed Twilight on the top of the head, then she leaned her head against Twilight’s. “Ask out Moon Dancer. She’ll make you happy, Sparky.”
Twilight didn’t say anything.
“This is a good day. You and Fluttershy are one step closer to living together, and you can finally confess to Moon Dancer how you feel.”
Twilight took a deep breath.
“And hey, I can still help you figure out what to say to her. Together we can –”
“Sunny?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we just… sit like this for a while?”
For a second, Sunset didn’t reply. Twilight could tell she was still trying to use words to fix what they never could.
But eventually, she took a deep breath and said, “Okay. Whatever you need, Sparky.”
Twilight closed her eyes. She imagined falling asleep holding onto Sunset, something she’d imagined doing time and time again, but she knew she wouldn’t. She wasn’t feeling nearly at peace enough to fall asleep, on top of the fact that she was outside on a park bench.
Still, she was trying. She was trying to feel the sense of peace Sunset was capable of bringing to her life. Instead, she just felt… something. Some feeling she couldn’t name at the thought of losing Sunset.
Twilight breathed in her scent, determined to let the moment stretch itself for as long as it could. She wanted it to last forever, even as she knew it never would. She had Sunset for now, but for how long? There was no telling.
But she had Sunset for now. And after all, that was something.
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I liked it! My only issue really is that I kinda would have liked some drama with like Sunset not liking polyamory or something similar, like not being a bigot just not being her thing.
The more I read about theories about the portal the more that it makes sense and I like it but the ending sure is depressing but still great job
10814269
I could see that, though I really wanted Sunset and Twilight to be mutually interested in each other with something else standing in the way of them getting together.
10814369
Lol yeah, I figured the ending would throw some people, but I'm glad you liked it!
She said it again! Wooh! I notice that this is the last one so Imma do a live react.
Not sure that's what she was going for.
Oh. Oh no. I know that “Oh.” It’s just words but I can hear it.
OH NO
OH MY GOD
NOOO
OWAIUT
ITS THE FUCKING BENCH!!! WHATNTHE UFCK
Oh my FUCKING god.
oh my god.
KRICKS. Kricks. Kricks. Krickis. Bun. Yo. Girl. What. What. WHAT? I don’t even think I can conceivably write my thoughts about this. I was planning on doing this big essay for the last chapter but I literally don’t even know what to say other than you hurt me. I was expecting you to hurt me, but you hurt me in ways that I couldn’t imagine being hurt in. It was. I. Just. That “Oh”. That ”Oh.”
I KNOW THAT OH AND its more like an “ow”. Yo. Kricks. How could you do this to me? I am your biggest fan and I receive pain. Actually, I’m your biggest fan because you hurt me so disregard that previous statement but holy god jesus christ what in the hell.
Anyway. Um. The whole portal thing makes a lot of sense, even if it is completely harrowing to think about in a context like this (or actually, even if its just in a “sunset leaves her friends” context. I just... Wow. You. The emotional beats were perfectly timed and written and I swear I could feel Twi’s pain. I don't... I don't have much to say because you left me speechless. Just... Wow Kricks... Wow... Almost hurt as bad as The Sound of Rain.... Almost... But in a different way... Ouch. This will be one moment I will literally always think about when asked what hurts me. Wow. Jeez.
My heart, it's breaking. But, even still, I'm okay with how this ends. Its sad. But that's fine.
Now excuse me, I need some ice cream therapy for… reasons.
And it comes to the end. Thank you so much for this wonderful gift. You have no idea how much this story means to me. From talking through the writing of it, conceptualizing, reading the rough drafts, proofreading it, and now getting to read this final product.
Words would not do it justice, and you know I'm pretty good at words.
It's something indeed.
10814444
As much as the explanation for the portal was nice, it strange to see that that was the problem when, in who we become for example, most of the time the problems are human and from relationship. It feels different and I think it would have been interesting to see jealous Sunset or something.
Ah yes, he infamous no happyness allowed rule returns. Just excellent. >:) Hahaha!
And to think Twilight must have woke up that morning thanking her lucky stars, that strange sci-fi logic existed; only for strange sci-fi logic to be her eventual bane.
I'm gonna ramble on the excellent idea of the portal not connecting the worlds anymore now.
The portal sent the sirens from starswirl time to the human world so unless there are many world's that send many sirens through many different portals then how would they turn up in eqg2? Also the memory stone incident took place after starswirl's return to modern equestria. Therefore with the combined magic of him and the princesses and starlight couldn't they make a portal that worked to not sync up with worlds that are not closest. Or at least an improved journal pair.
Of course you could say that it's impossible to connect worlds that are not the lowest possible. This is almost disproven if you consider that there are probably infinate worlds in the multiverse; or just two.
Wonder when sunset would return though and when she would tell everyone or more importantly how she would burn the bridge with the job she hates!
Thanks Krickis.
10814511
This is the best kind of comment hahaha. And I'm particularly glad to see having drawn the bench scene hits you so hard now
10814641
Ice cream therapy is valid. Glad you enjoyed the story!
10814778
And again, thank you for bringing this to life with me. It's been a pleasure, and well, you know my thoughts on the story
10815024
I think you're thinking a little too surface level. Sunset isn't happy. She's desperately searching for a way to be happy, but she isn't. She thinks that maybe going to Equestria is her only option, and she doesn't want to hurt Twilight by giving her a relationship that can't last because of her own personal reasons. That is a human feeling, the portal just represents a choice Sunset has made. And well, it represents something else too, something very human in nature, but that'd be giving it away...
10815035
lol I'll just be honest and say I didn't think it through to that extent. I don't really do things like inter-dimensional travel and stuff like that. I'm a slice of life author, I handle emotions and relationships; I don't do sci-fi. To me, the portal was entirely a means to an end. It was a way to make a solid wall between Twilight and Sunset that could never be crossed again, and to explore the implications of Sunset willfully walking away from Twilight and putting that wall between them. Does it hold up to the highest scrutiny? Probably not. But I think it worked well enough for a short slice of life story.
...and that's that, it seems. I liked that take on the portal; I'd be interested to see what direction people would go with that concept. "Something". Feelings ain't so simple I suppose. Sunset permanently leaving to go back to Equestria, and Twilight, in her eyes, settling for second place. Both of them have a lot to work through but...honestly, I like this. This was a much different story than WWB, and while it does just kinda...end, it fits.
10816266
Yeah, my intention here was too make this a single day in a much larger story. The story does not begin at chapter one (there's a lot of history that doesn't get fully explained, like what Fluttershy's issue with Moon Dancer is), nor does it end at chapter three (what comes next for all of the characters is completely up in the air), but that's what I wanted. Just a window into a particularly meaningful day. Glad it worked for you, it's something i was unsure of because it could do easily fail to captivate; in fact, I thought everyone would hate the ending, but it's been pretty well received.
10816284
That's a really neat approach to story telling that I don't see a lot. Yeah there's one-shots, but they don't have the same feeling as this. These chapters could have been the climax of a much larger story but instead...we get a snapshot. Like you said, one particularly important day.
10816290
If I'm being honest, and I usually am, I'm a character gal at heart. I like doing cool things with flowy words like I did in the prologue, but gosh I really love characters and emotions, so this comment feels even better than your first one. Thank you for taking the time out to write all of this, it's really lovely to read!
Really good story. It was interesting for you to choose not to resolve the plot threads introduced here, but instead just show off an eventful day in Twilight's life. I hope her romantic life is normally a bit less stressful than it is here.
You did a fantastic job presenting the different ways Twilight interacts with people; earlier comments particularly pointed out the differences between her conversations with Moondancer and Sunset. You could get a sense of history from every one of them.
The ending conversation with Sunset was heartbreaking, but I admit, it felt odd to suddenly bring in the magical/sci-fi element of the portal to Equestria and the mechanics of how it works. It does admittedly do a great job creating an insurmountable barrier between them in the future, though. Previous comments brought up how Starswirl and Clover used the portal as a cosmic trash bin a thousand years ago, but you could justify that as being another time the dimensions synced up; thus, the worlds won't sync up again for another thousand years.
Overall, glad I'm ace and aro and don't have to deal with any of this, lol.
10816421
Originally she was just planning on going back to Equestria without the explanation of the portal and how it works, but it just wasn't enough of a wall for me. The whole portal and going back to Equestria is actually a metaphor for something else, which may be clearer if you read the sequel.
That detail aside, I'm glad you enjoyed this story. I'm very happy with it, and very happy to see people responding well despite the incomplete plot threads.
10816627
My fluttershy is the one in the middle, she cannot sleep in a normal alignment to save her life, so im given about 1.5 feet of the edge ...metamour isnt a cuddler so cocoons away with a dragon body pillow protecting him from fluttershys flailing (many 2am sleeping face smacks led to this)...add a cat and a very cuddly 8 year old who wants in on the sleepy pile and you have a utter confounding sleeping arrangement...part of me find the mess of our sleeping antics hilarious ...but a king size just doesn't lend itself to the situation
10816634
I can definitely see why a king isn't big enough for y'all lol
Hehe as sorry as I am for your plight, I can't help but laugh, that's pretty crazy
10816290
💔 💔 💔 💔
10816705
JAY IM SORRY
How could you hurt me like this. AHHHH!
I'm not in a very wordy mood, so you're spared from the fourpeat essay, but this chapter is so heartbreaking. I can absolutely feel Twi's desperation, Sunset's guilt. And the fucking last line... Dammit now I'm sad.
Ya did it. Ya broke me.
10818837
Happy to wreck your feelings for you, come back if you ever need to feel despair again! 
Hehehe that's what I do
The whole desynching thing adds a lot more drama. It feels wrong somehow.
10835931
Lol yeah this story does earn its drama tag
"I need you more than anything in my life
I want you more than anything in my life
I'll miss you more than anyone in my life
I love you more than anyone in my life"
- Daft Punk, 2001
Out of all the fics I've read on this site, this one (and the sequel) I find myself coming back to more often than any other. It's strange, because I'm the type that prefers happy endings. This just gives me so many Feelings™️ and leaves me longing what could have been, and I find myself getting lost in that sometimes.
I think it has a lot to do with the ambiguity of the ending. I get feeling that somehow they could find a way to make things work, however unlikely that may be. I'm a hopeless romantic, though. Love can't always find a way, but that doesn't stop me from believing.
I left a comment on the sequel some time ago, but after I passed through it again this time, I thought it appropriate to leave one here as well. Excellent job on this. Thank you for sharing it with everyone.
11363178
Very happy to hear you find yourself returning to this story! I'm extremely happy with it myself, I think it's likely my best short work. I'm really pleased with the ambiguity of the story. I always envisioned it as a single day in a much bigger story, with story that went on before and after this one day, this is just a window into a full life. Which is not to say things do or don't work out in the end. Just saying that to me, that's what makes this story interesting.
Depending on what you enjoy about this story, thedarkprep and I write stories in an ongoing universe with similar focus on romantic drama and queer themes. It's really my universe, but Prep has written a number of stories for it as well, and it was how we met originally. If you are interested, it's called Who We Become, and this is a list of the stories in order. If you're not, then no worries, I'm more than pleased that you read this story and left such a lovely comment!
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I thought I recognized your name! I remember seeing parts of this on ao3. I think this is as good of a reason as any to dive into these.
I'm very impressed by how much you've put into this! And if this story is anything to go by (plus your description sounds like Exactly what I'm into) I'm sure I'll love it
Ouch.
Many people have written a lot of very smart words about this and I'm not even going to try to outsmart those. It was a very, very good story. An emotional rollercoaster. And it hurt. The pain would probably have more impact if it wasn't such a familiar feeling by now, but it still hurt anyway.
Emotions are incredibly messy. And relationships are nothing but emotions layered on top of more emotions. It's like a constantly shifting assortment of chemical gears, everything flawed and imperfect, but somehow the machine still runs. Understanding how it works, or why it keeps working, is as futile an endeavor as it is to study why it eventually, maybe, broke down.
Parts of this story hit close to home. I've been in a relationship configuration similar to Twilight's. And hoo boy, I was not ready for that. I recognize many of Twilight's thought patterns from myself. She's... better at dealing with this mess, which is admirable.
When the ending rolled around, my first thought was simply: Why keep her? Why not follow her? But that's obviously an entirely different can of worms. So many issues, no clear and 'good' solution. It's the point where I suddenly feel a sharp disconnect between Twilight and myself. I can't put myself into her headspace anymore, because I don't have a Fluttershy to hold me back, or a Moondancer, or Applejack. I would shrug, and I would follow. She can't.
Realizing that, my thoughts immediately wandered to something other commenters already addressed. The plan to 'fix this'. Somehow. Equestria has magic powerhouses like Twilight and Starlight. This world has geniuses like Moondancer and Twilight. Surely they might find a solution. Surely. But while a part of my mind clings to that, repeating a solemn 'surely' over and over, I can acknowledge that, from a narrative perspective, the mirror served its purpose quite well.
I feel like I'm in some kind of idle state. Processing stuff. And if I were halfway decent at reading and understanding my own emotions, I would probably know how to take that ragged breathing. Since I am not, though, it is mildly irritating.
Alright, enough rambling. I've been sitting here staring at the screen and stretching for words far too long. You wrote something really, really good. On many levels.
Thank you for writing!
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This comment was wonderful to wake up to. There are few things as cool as an author in having a reader just feel things and be reminded of their own life in the characters. It means that my story works, and that my characters are relatable in a major way.
I have also been in this exact situation. In fact, more than literally any other story I've written, this is based entirely on true events (well, obfuscated and changed to a degree for a short narrative sense, of course). Every character in this fic has a real life counterpart, with me of course being Twilight. This is to say that I too know how difficult the situations in this story can be, and as a result, can see where you're coming from as well in regards to having been in a situation like this and not being ready for it.
I am on the fence of saying this but if I haven't deleted it, then I've apparently decided to say it! But well, it may interest you (and others reading this) to know that the real life Sunset did not go to Equestria, and she and Twilight did eventually get together. Which is not to say that is what happens to these characters (thedarkprep wrote the only sequel that there will ever be to this story already), but I suspect some people may find comfort in the knowledge anyway. This story is a snapshot of both a moment in my own life, and a moment in Twilight's. Right from the getgo, this was designed to be a single day in a larger life. And life moves on, and goes in unexpected directions. I have no interest in writing a sequel (and you didn't ask for one anyway) so the speculation many have for Twilight and Sunset and everyone else must continue. But their real life counterparts are working things out, day by day.
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Time zones are funny. Well, I'm glad I could brighten up your morning a little, that actually put a smile on my face in turn.
It does work, yes. You have an impressive way with words, worthy of envy. Or at least appreciation.
That makes a lot of sense, actually. It's incredibly difficult to write about something you don't really have any real, tangible experience with. Difficult, but not impossible. But it usually means you have to work with theoretical knowledge and/or imagination, which... usually shows in some way. This, however... well, as others put it already: It felt 'real'.
I would have loved some guidance back then. Scratch that, a manual. I would've given a lot for a freaking manual! 'How to poly, for Dummies'. It's so incredibly messy to figure these things out on your own. So much damage caused, so much pain invoked, it's just... frustrating. I was a mess when I went in, and it got worse from there. Thinking back now, I would've been glad about stories like this one. While they are not exactly the manual I would've wished for, they are an eye-opener. They can serve quite well to inform, warn and educate. To help form a (different) perspective. To avoid certain pitfalls. Every relationship is obviously different, but just the sheer existence of this story and similar ones could probably have helped me a lot back then.
I'm just glad to see a lot more of it pop up nowadays. (Goodness, now I sound ooold.)
I'm not one for sequel-begging. You're the storyteller. You tell us your tales, whatever they may be and whenever you have them. No pressure, just gratitude and curiosity.
As for that little personal tidbit. I think I'm actually grateful for it. For as little as I know about you personally - which is to say, almost nothing -, I am glad that this story had a happy ending. Sort of. (I mean, nothing ever truly ends, but that's beside the point.) I hope you're happy. I wish for you to be happy. And well.
I've taken a look at the sequel and I'm quite hesitant. I know myself enough to realize that certain kinds of stories can easily derail me and cause me to spiral down, down, down again. Or, well, further down. It's always down, only ever down. Anyway, I usually avoid stories already tagged as 'sad', because, well, I usually have difficulties bearing that emotional weight. It's crushing. And I'm not enough of a masochist to actively seek that out. I am sure it is well-written. I am sure it would be able to stir something within me. And I am actively fighting totally-not-OCDs that scream down my ear about how I read one part and I simply have to read all parts/sequels/whatever, because the story won't be 'complete' otherwise. But I try to stay clear. And I try not to vomit forth a flood of apologies. Heh.
Right. Enough babbling for now.